


Lightning and Thunder

by thereylotrashbin (destielismymothership)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Rey Needs A Hug, fear of thunder
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-12 21:22:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13555830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/destielismymothership/pseuds/thereylotrashbin
Summary: He hesitates, wants to tell her to come to him, that he will come to her, but knows she won’t agree. That she would rather suffer than betray her precious Resistance. He pleads regardless, would rather betray his First Order than to see her suffer with no end.It starts with the thunder.





	Lightning and Thunder

She hates the thunder. It wasn’t especially common on Jakku, but she had experienced it. The thunderous boom, echoing across the sand. Storms could mean death on Jakku. Nowhere was safe, her At-At a massive lightening rod. She had always gotten lucky, been able to find shelter for those few hours, but thunder, lightning, and flash flooding filled her nightmares, the hazards that accompanied rain in the desert made it both a blessing and a curse.

A few weeks after the disaster on Crait, what little of the Resistance is left is in hiding on a planet- she can’t remember the name- with heavy storms. It helps to obscure them from First Order scouts, Leia explains to her. She understands, but as the days wear on she becomes increasingly exhausted and irritable. The never-ending thunder has her on edge, and no one seems to have realized. She can’t fault them, survival is the priority, but she feels isolated and the thunder has her in a bad mood already.

Ben would have noticed, a voice in her head whispers snidely. The thought makes her throat close with tears.

She lays crying in her- blessedly- private quarters one night, having retired for the evening. Shudders rack through her body in time to the claps of thunder. She briefly considers hiding under the bed, thinks that maybe burying herself will mute the deafening cracks. She is reminded of when she was a child, alone and petrified. She wished for her parents then. 

She wishes for Ben now. 

As angry as she is with him, she knows that he would understand what was bothering her, would try to protect her. She buries her head further into the blanket, muffling her sobs.

“Rey?” A deep voice questions, worry in his voice. 

She chokes on her tears, unwilling to look up at him, afraid of her reaction if she sees him there, or worse, if she doesn’t. 

He is by her side in an instant, the bed dipping beside her, his hands frantically hovering over her, afraid she might be wounded, but equally afraid to touch her.

“Rey, what’s wrong?!” He demands, his worry increasing with each word, with each panicked gesture of his hands near her face and shoulders.

Thunder claps again and her sobs break anew. She wants to throw herself into his arms, for him to hold her, but she curls further in on herself instead.

He understands the what immediately, if not the why. The thunder is upsetting her. He pulls her against his chest and places one of his large hands over her ear, the other snuggly against him.

“You’re safe, I promise you. You’re not alone.” He assures her.

She feels the calm begin to wash over her as soon as he touches her. The constant emotional friction she has been subject to for weeks is soothed by him with ease. 

The thunder is muted by his hands and chest, and his voice rumbles against her, distracting from the storm raging outside. He sits rocking her and encouraging her until the storm eases. He tells her stories of his childhood, of his daily life, he tells her about how much he hates ruling the First Order. That he’s out of his element, doesn’t know what to do.

When she can finally pull her tear-stained face from his tunic, she looks at him.

“Thank you,” She whispers to him.

He looks pained as he makes eye contact with her.

“Why has no one noticed yet?” He asks her, both concerned and frustrated.

She looks at him sternly. “The Resistance is in a weakened state, thanks to your First Order. There are higher priorities than my fear of thunder.” 

He looks properly scolded. 

“Why are you afraid of thunder?” 

She takes a deep breath before explaining.

“Storms are much more dangerous of on Jakku. Deserts aren’t generally the most equips for rainfall and lightning.” 

She opens her mind to his, and he sees the memories of terror and pain that filled her adolescence. The water rushing violently, sweeping her off her feet if she wasn’t careful, her home too dangerous to approach for those few hours. The necessity of collecting water while it is plentiful, despite the dangers. 

He holds her closer again, a rage filling him as it did when Snoke tortured her, sorted through her mind while he could only kneel. Her fear and suffering had motivated him into action then, but now he is powerless again.

“Please leave this planet, wherever you are,” he begs her.

“I can’t,” She whispers, her voice cracking with tears once again. “Even if we could spare a ship to get through it, I couldn’t navigate through this. And where would I go?”

He hesitates, wants to tell her to come to him, that he will come to her, but knows she won’t agree. That she would rather suffer than betray her precious Resistance. He pleads regardless, would rather betray his First Order than to see her suffer with no end.

“Could you get one of them to leave you off-planet?” He asks.

She looks at him, sees the plan forming in his mind. If someone leaves her off-planet, then she can contact Ben to get her, without giving away the position of the Rebellion. 

“You don’t even have to tell them why,” he begs, “Just let me find you, please. Come be with me.”

She glares at him again.

“Rule by your side as the Empress of your wretched First Order?” She mocks. “I won’t turn, Ben.”

“But you believe your Resistance will be victorious in this war? That they will make change? That they will save other little girls sold by their parents?” His voice is deep and shaking, it rings as it did in the Red Room weeks ago. 

“That’s not fair,” she rages, shaking as more tears leak from her scrunched eyes.

“I am trying to offer you change Rey. You could make change, to shape the galaxy as you wish. You can make it better, but not with the Resistance. With me, together.”

She knows he means it, can feel the honesty in his soul. He wants to be with her, the same way she longs for him. To be with someone who understands her pain, her isolation. Thunder claps again suddenly, catching her off guard. She launches back into his arms, her face buried in the crook of his neck. 

“I won’t turn to the dark,” she sobs. 

“Then don’t,” he tells her. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. But please, let me come you.” 

She nods into his shoulder and he relaxes against her.

“I miss you,” she cries. 

“Where are you? I’ll come get you myself.” 

“No First Order?” She asks.

“No First Order.” He confirms

“Let me make arrangements with your mother in the morning.”

He nods. 

Silence lingers for a few moments. He continues to hold her, sheltering her from the worst of the thunder. 

“Stay with me tonight,” she pleas, her voice soft in its vulnerability. 

“Of course,” he answers.

They lay together for the rest of the night. He makes sure she falls asleep before succumbing himself, waking hours later in his own quarters. He patiently waits for the Force to connect them, to find out how to rescue his princess.


End file.
